Several high-profile instances of extreme turbulence caused by severe weather have recently come to light, and airplane passengers and crew can expect to weather the brunt of the difference.
Association of Flight Attendants spokesperson Taylor Garland told CBS News that reports of heavy turbulence on flights “will only continue to grow,” due to severe weather conditions, adding that recent injuries over the summer could have been weather-related.
“The summer months are normally very weather prone, with thunderstorms, and so aviation is affected by weather,” she said. “So while it’s typical, most turbulence is not something to be concerned about.”
In March, one person was killed due to turbulence on a flight from Dillant-Hopkins Airport in New Hampshire to Virginia’s Leesburg Executive Airport.
The airplane was diverted to Bradley International Airport in Connecticut.
While deaths from airline turbulence are rare, injuries are becoming more common.
Data on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) website showed 163 “serious turbulence injuries” from 2009-2022. The National Transportation Security Board classifies serious turbulence injuries as ones that include a minimum 48-hour hospital stay, broken bones, severe hemorrhages, damage to an internal organ, or second- or third-degree burns due to spilling of coffee or other hot liquids.
Turbulence is caused by any number of atmospheric conditions, such as cold fronts or jet streams. It’s unpredictable and can occur even when skies are clear.
Because turbulence can occur without warning, the website also noted that the best way for passengers to guard against injury is to remain seated with their seatbelts buckled throughout their flights.
In one example, turbulent conditions disrupted a March 8 flight from Austin to Frankfurt, Germany. The plane, which carried 172 passengers and 12 crew members, made an emergency landing in Virginia. Seven people were hospitalized.
CBS reported that 20 passengers and crew were injured the next day on a flight to Mauritius from Frankfurt.
In December, 36 people were injured — 20 of them hospitalized — due to severe turbulence on a flight from Phoenix to Honolulu.
“That seatbelt sign comes on for a reason,” Garland told CBS. “You should not be up or going to the bathroom. That sign is on for your safety. … Some passengers may think, ‘Oh, I’ll be fine,’ but with turbulence, you can injure yourself and other people around you.”
Recent severe weather in the Metroplex area resulted in flight delays and cancellations, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
